Is 6 months a critical TTC milestone?

[lifesapeach]

Hi everyone,

I'm in my 8 month of trying to conceive and I'm really worried about having passed what seems to be a critical 6 month milestone. All the statistics I'm reading say that the majority of people will conceive within 6 months i.e. More than 50% and actually more like 70% or 80% in most trials. After 6 months, the chances per month of falling pregnant fall. Also, see posts below. What do you think?

I don't think it is really. The NHS certainly doesn't think you need fertility investigations unless you've been trying for 2 years (or 1 year if you're older, can't remember the cut off age for that).

It's just that most people do conceive within 6 months. That doesn't mean there's necessarily a problem if you haven't within 6 months.

Took me 10 months this time round.

NHS will investigate after 6 months ttc over 35. I think any younger you want to try and avoid unnecessary investigations.

The table you've posted shows that the majority (77%) of couples who've been trying for 6 months will conceive within the next 12 months - I'd say that's quite a positive statistic!

It doesn't make me feel that positive given I wasn't in the 70/80% who get pregnant in the first 6 months.

Sorry OP, I didn't mean to sound insensitive to your worries. But logically speaking the stats are still on your side (by which I mean that being in the unlucky 70% to date doesn't mean you're any less likely to be in the lucky 77% over the next 12 months). How old are you?

Good luck

DD1, pregnant the 1st month of "trying" DD2 took 10 months of "trying". There was nothing different, same partner, no weight loss/gain, same level of fitness, diet etc. They say anything up to 1 year is normal. Just keep trying, try to relax and have fun and if you get past the 12 month mark go to your GP. Everyone's different!

Took me 2.5 years!

Allthelight- sorry, I didn't mean to sound so short there, I really appreciate your comments!

I'm 29, which I know is a positive. I'm just finding it so hard. I was sure I would be pregnant in the first 6 months. We've had day3 blood, day21 blood, ultrasound and semen analysis done and all results were normal so I don't really have anything to point to to say why I'm not in that 6 month majority...

6 months isn't a long time in the world of infertility. All my tests came back fine and my partners and it's been nearly 2 years for us and we'll be having IVF. There's no need to worry just yet

It took me nearly 2 years first time, had the standard investigations (both me and dh) including bloods, sperm analysis, scans and hsg, nothing wrong.
2nd time dtd precisely once to get pg again. Two normal pregnancies. So I don't think there was anything wrong at all, it just took a while for it to be my turn.
I know it's tough, but there's a good chance there's nothing wrong at all.

Same here- a year first time and did ivf in the end. Started trying when ds was 9 months old and I'd finished breastfeeding as I expected another long haul (if at all). Got a positive 4 weeks later and now have 2 boys 17 months apart!

I don't know whether there"s any logic to it TBH.

This is all very encouraging, i've been iff the pill for over 2 and half years an nothing. Wasn't timing any bd though.

I conceived my first child in 4 months, my second in 10 and my third in 1. There's not much rhyme or reason to it.

It took us 18 months to conceive, having been confirmed that everything was working perfectly fine for both of us. We started thinking about private fertility treatment and I was getting my head around this. At this point I completely gave up thinking I'd fall pregnant naturally as it hadn't happened in all that time; and the minute I did that, I fell pregnant! I think the stress of not getting pregnant really did play a part in us not conceiving earlier. So, as hard as it might be, believe me when I say, try and relax, it really does make a difference. I am now 17 weeks pregnant!

Took us 20months. Nothing wrong but did have a laparoscopy that month and my ivf appt came in.

I then conceived after 3 months (MC); 3 months after that (MC); one month after that (MC) and am now 11 weeks after 4 months.

I suppose you maybe just need to prepare for a bit of a 'journey'. Everyone has their own - some are really straight forward; some are much much much more complicated. BUT right now, today, as you stand the odds are in your favour. Think of this way, statistically you are likely to be pregnant by June.

I really hope that helps as it is awful waiting and trying and seeing others get pregnant. Good luck xx

I'm not sure re 6 months being a critical TTC milestone.

Looking around at friends & acquaintances, quite a few of them took a lot longer than 6 months to conceive, with most of them being 35 or younger.

For me, personally, we've now had regular unprotected intercourse for over 6 months and I'm gutted not to be pregnant yet.
We had a MMC 7 months ago.

Following the MMC I tried to cheer myself up by thinking that I would be pregnant again by the end of the year for sure.

I've been pregnant twice and both times there was no planning or timing involved at all, and we only had sex the one time in the month I fell pregnant.

For me, as its been 6 months and I am 38, am going back to the GP later this month to request some more investigations (bloods came back ok a couple of months ago)- I think I want to ask for an ultrasound scan to check all is looking ok.

I know it's completely normal not to conceive within 6 months, but sadly I don't feel that I have time on my side to just wait and see/relax & let it happen etc...so for me, passing the 6 months mark means I am now seriously worried and have kind of given up planning too much about baby no.2 as I don't know whether there will be one.

Your concerns are totally understandable. It took me 12 months to get pregnant with my first and I am 7 cycles in trying for my second baby.

It will happen for you.

Took us a year to conceive DD.. Nothing obviously wrong and I was militant with ovulation monitoring and DTD!

Not really, it depends if you're coming off the pill or not, the pill can delay things and it takes a while to get to know your cycles even if not. 6 months doesnt give you a lot of chances to try different things either. I'd forget about opks and charts if i were you, they were totally wrong for me and i conceived much earlier in my cycle than i would have expected going by my scans.

@lifesapeach I feel your pain, approaching the six month mark at age 37 so I'm heading over to the docs to discuss my options and my cycles so far- I've noticed that I have a very short Luteal phase, for example I have a very regular 29 day cycle (3 day AF) and last month I got my surge on day 18!! I'm hoping the doc can make some suggestions based on this ...

@Luan82 I notice your post is quite new I'm in the same boat as you how did things progress?

OP, how sure are you that you're having sex on the right days? Do you track your ovulation?